1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus and a method of controlling an image processing apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Digital multi-function peripherals (MFPs) having multiple functions such as a copying function, a facsimile function, etc. are widely used. In the MFP, an input/output operation of a scanner unit or a printer unit, a process of making a connection to a network or a communication line, image processing on image data, and a combination of two or more of the operations described above are controlled by a controller (CPU) responsible for controlling the entire system.
The MFP usually includes an image processing unit capable of performing a plurality of image processing such as a resolution conversion, binarization, rotation, color conversion, etc. on input image data. Various techniques in terms of parallel processing of two or more image processes have been proposed to increase the operation speed of the MFP. For example, in a copying machine disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-8002 (corresponding to US Publication No. 2001-0033391 A1), image data in units of pages are divided into image data in units of particular sizes, and image processing is performed in the units of the divided image data (i.e., the particular sizes).
More specifically, header information in which image processing information is described is attached to each of the divided image data. In the image processing information (header information), apparatus identification information is described from the beginning of the header in the same order as the order in which apparatus are used in processing. In accordance with the apparatus identification information, the divided image data are transferred to respective image processing modules. Thus, image processes are performed without imposing a large processing load on the CPU.
Another aspect of this technique is that it is possible to perform, in parallel, different image processes on a plurality of divided image data.
However, in the copying machine disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-8002, it is impossible to perform in parallel the same image process on a plurality of divided image data, although it is possible to perform in parallel different image processes on a plurality of divided image data.
In the technique disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-8002, the copying machine includes a total of four image processing modules, that is, a color space conversion processing unit, a resolution conversion processing unit, a binarization processing unit, and a rotation processing unit, which serve as image processing units that perform respective image processes on divided image data. For example, in this technique, although it is possible to perform in parallel a color conversion on divided image data and a resolution conversion on another divided image data by operating corresponding modules at the same time, it is impossible to perform in parallel a color conversion on a plurality of divided image data, because there is only one module for the color conversion.
In many cases, the same image process is performed on respective image data generated by dividing original image data in units of pages. However, in the copying machine disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-8002, it is impossible to perform in parallel an image process on divided image data generated from one page of original image data, and thus it takes a long time to perform the image process.
One technique to solve the above problem is to provide a plurality of modules for each image process such that the plurality of modules can be used at the same time to perform in parallel the same image process. However, the result is an increase in the circuit complexity and a corresponding increase in cost, and thus this technique is not a good solution.